Blog Tour: Vigilante

ABOUT VIGILANTE:

A brutally honest, uncompromising story about a teen girl who decides to take matters into her own hands. 

It's senior year, and Hadley and her best friend, Magda, should be starting the year together. Instead, Magda is dead and Hadley is alone. Raped at a party the year before and humiliated, Magda was driven to take her own life and Hadley is forced to see her friend's attackers in the classroom every day. Devastated, enraged and needing an outlet for her grief, Hadley decides to get a little justice of her own. 

Donning a pink ski mask and fueled by anger, Hadley goes after each of the guys one by one, planning to strip them of their dignity and social status the way they did to Magda. As the legend of the pink-masked Vigilante begins to take on a life of its own, Hadley's revenge takes a turn for the dangerous. Could her need for vengeance lead her down a path she can't turn back from?

LINKS: Amazon | BN | Indiebound

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I think it's the perfect book to start a conversation about women and how they can help other women, how they can learn to protect themselves, and how shaming other women isn't right. I felt terrible for Magda and how the world turned on her. I love the idea of Hadley and her new sisterhood. I love how they helped each other out, on several occasions. I liked the idea of the Pink Vigilante, going after guys the law couldn't - but at the same time, I didn't always agree with her decisions. I know that I don't have those fighting skills - but this book makes me want to change that. I loved the romance of this book. I loved the friendship between Hadley and Zoe. I love how this book made girls feel powerful, in control of their lives, able to help others, and fight back. I really loved the addition of Detective Diane, she was powerful and yet her hands were tied at times. I love how she taught the classes and how she spoke at the school. The ending threw me, I wasn't expecting that! Vigilante is a powerful read about friendship, grief, death, healing, and getting a little of your own back. 

ABOUT KADY CROSS:
Kady Cross is a pseudonym for USA Today bestselling author Kathryn Smith. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and a pride of cats. She likes singing with Rock Band on the 360, British guys, Vietnamese food, and makeup (she’s hopelessly addicted to YouTube makeup tutorials!). When she’s not writing Kady likes to catch up on her favorite TV shows, read a good book or make her own cosmetics.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

3/20: The Irish Banana Review - Makeup Looks

3/21: The Fake Steph - Looks From Books

3/22: Megnificent Books - Review

3/23: Bibliobuli YA - Q&A

3/24: The Book Return - Review

Week 2:

3/27: Such A Novel Idea - Playlist

3/28: Books Are Love - Review

3/29: YA Book Nerd - Review

3/30: BCS Reviews - Review

3/31: Avid Reader - Top 10 Vigilantes

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of VIGILANTE (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future

Glory isn't sure of her future even though she's graduating from high school. Her mom killed herself when Glory was four and Glory still feels lost.

One night she and her BFF drink beer mixed with a special ingredient. The next day, Glory can see glimpses of the future when she looks at someone.

The future isn't impressive - in fact it's downright terrifying and depressing.

My Thoughts: I couldn't put this book down - it was terrifying, fascinating, and disturbing. It's a nightmare situation where women's rights no longer exist through a horrifying look at government. 

I loved learning more about Glory - her thoughts, her feelings, and how she tried to find herself in both the past and the future. I loved learning about photography - from the pictures she took and the pictures she found that her mother had taken.

I like how Glory tried to understand her mother and her final choice. I like how she took care of her father, but also how she ultimately took him outside his comfort zone. 

I like how friendship was portrayed - at times it was everything and at times there were nothing. I wasn't a huge fan of Ellie - I found her shallow and selfish. Although I did feel bad for her living in a cult and not having much freedom. I like how the friendship worked itself out.

This book would be perfect for a book discussion - so many things to talk about with feminism, suicide, friendship, judging people, and family. 

Cover Thoughts: It works
Source: My Library
Fun Fact: I read it as a Cybil judge

Overall Thoughts: A Smart book about the future, views on women, and how terrifying the future can seem when changing just a one law. This book kept me thinking long after I closed the pages.

Review: Rivals in the City

 * Fourth and final book in The Agency series *

With the Agency split into two - Mary and James set up their own Agency. But an unexpected person from their past threaten their present happiness. They're forced to dissolve their partnership and their relationship - temporarily.

They must work alone, in secret, and in fear for each other's lives. Above all, this woman can not find out about their relationship. I could spell disaster for them both. Can they solve the mystery and put the past behind them in order to enjoy their future?

My Thoughts: I love this series and this book answered many questions. I love the Agency - how it defied normal and used women as agents. The blend of romance, history, and mystery make this series stand out. I love learning more about Victorian life - especially the parts that detail lives or ordinary people and not the aristocracy. 

I love Mary for her determination, her intelligence, and her resourcefulness. I love James his forward thinking, his intelligence, and his loyalty.  I like how Mary uncovered more about her family history in this book. Although I long for more Mary Quinn stories, I'm happy with the ending. 

Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous as Usual
Source: ARC for review

Overall Thoughts: I ADORE this series - a perfect blend of danger, mystery, history, and romance. I would read many more Mary Quinn books and I'm sad to have the series end. 

Women's History Month Read: When Audrey Met Alice

Audrey feels trapped in the White House because of all the rules. Not only did she have to move away from her friends, but now she rarely sees her parents anymore. Audrey meets lonely, especially since she's having such a hard time making new friends.

One night, Audrey finds a secret hiding place in a closet - where she discovers the diary of Alice Roosevelt.  Alice also feels confined with all the rules of her father's position and society.  Alice loves shocking people and seeing how far she can push boundaries.  Audrey starts using Alice's diary as a tool for getting her ideas across and getting herself noticed.

Most of these ideas backfire, laving Audrey in more trouble with the White House staff, the newspapers, and more importantly her parents. Can Audrey find freedom and fun?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book - for both the contemporary and the historical parts. I loved reading Alice's diary - her shocking tales, her adventures, and how she tried to be helpful. I thought Audrey imitating her ideas where cute, but sometimes ill advised. I felt bad for Audrey being torn away from her life and her friends and then forced to figure out if anyone likes her for herself or for her parents. I don't think I would like to live in the White House, but it would be a cool place to spend the night. A great book about two strong characters both trying to find their place in the world.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library

Women's History Month Read: Dare the Wind

The story of Eleanor Prentiss and how she took the Flying Cloud from New York to San Francisco in record time. 

My Thoughts: I confess I didn't know anything about Elaenor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud and now I want to know more. This book was a great introduction to her life. I love that her father taught her what he knew about sailing and I'm glad that she married a man who loved the see as much as a she did and let her be herself. The pictures were great; I could almost picture myself on the ship. Author's note was informative and I enjoyed looking at the map. A very well done book.